Manufacturing comes with higher priceAmid the screeching and howling on talk radio the other day came a familiar lament. Irate Caller opined that these United States would be better off if we'd get rid of all these service-sector jobs and bring back manufacturing work. IC wondered why we - whoever that might be - allowed shoe-making jobs and jeans-making jobs and whatever-making jobs to leave these shores for others in far-off lands. We've heard the complaint before, and it has a...

We're looking for courageThe General Assembly will soon open a new session, and their actions could potentially change this state's future in many and important ways - if our elected officials have the courage to do what's right. Unfortunately, courage to do what's right often pales beside the desire to win re-election. That's why our elected officials often fail to morph into elected leaders. They take the expedient way to popularity, instead of the difficult path th...

FOI primer for justicesWe've ratcheted up our scrutiny of Pope County's elected leadership in recent months, questioning their actions on an alarmingly regular basis. If they're not hem-hawwing around on a vicious animal ordinance, they're building walls between the county and its largest city. Sadly, we've found no dearth of actions and inactions on which to comment. It stood to our reason that, if those folks know that we're paying fairly close attention to them, ...

New rules may help landownersPresident George W. Bush hasn't yet had a strong record on environmental matters. He won't win the Green Party endorsement any time soon is what we're saying. Opening up Alaskan lands for oil drilling, shunning alternative fuels and avoiding pollution controls are among the president's environmental stewardship actions. Not too impressive. So, when the story first came across that the White House is proposing new rules for clean water, our ini...

Let's agree to have fun this yearRecent weeks - months, actually - have been more than a little depressing. War hangs like a sword overhead. The economy is still in the tank. And a new reality TV show comes along every other day. Ick. Diatribes in this space have no doubt mirrored that trend. We've chastised elected officials from here to Washington and back. We've railed against this proposal and that program. We've battled irrational concepts near and far - not always with ...

Stimulus plan falls far shortIf we could have one wish - beyond world peace and a decent football team - we'd ask for a regular person to become president or a member of Congress. Not an heir. Not a former chief executive. Not someone who reads Forbes more than Sports Illustrated. A regular person. Someone who's actually driven through a drive-through. Someone who's not mesmerized by grocery store scanners. Someone who's actually filled out an income tax form. Why? The an...

Middle America will stimulate U.S. economyPresident George W. Bush said Thursday that he'll submit an economic stimulus plan next week. The news could scarcely come fast enough for millions of Americans who are out of work, have seen their retirement plans shrivel and/or are simply worried about their financial security. We hope the president suggests several investments in the nation's economy, the true national economy. That means Main Street jobs, not Wall Street jobs. That means M...

Bush plan should help Middle America firstPresident George W. Bush said Thursday that he'll submit an economic stimulus plan next week. The news could scarcely come fast enough for millions of Americans who are out of work, have seen their retirement plans shrivel and/or are simply worried about their financial security. We hope the president suggests several investments in the nation's economy, the true national economy. That means Main Street jobs, not Wall Street jobs. That means M...

Searching for 'normal' amid threatsRecognizing the suffering wrought by circumstances in various parts of the world on New Year's Eve, we nonetheless let out a collective sigh as our own celebrations concluded without another shoe dropping. In the runup to Tuesday night, we learned that some men - deemed "interesting" to the FBI - supposedly sneaked into the country and were perhaps headed to New York City. It was not a giant leap to envision some horrible act occurring in Time...

We face 2003 uncertain, hopefulAs the sun rises on this first day of 2003, clouds on the horizon keep us from knowing how bright this day, and this year, will be. To be sure, many challenges and threats swirl around us. War drums sound around the world. From our ongoing war against terrorists to our seemingly certain, yet unannointed, war with Iraq, U.S. military personnel have daunting tasks in front of them. Another appears to be rearing its nuclear-tipped head in North K...

Uncertainty abounds for 2003As the sun rises on this first day of 2003, clouds on the horizon keep us from knowing how bright this day, and this year, will be. To be sure, many challenges and threats swirl around us. War drums sound around the world. From our ongoing war against terrorists to our seemingly certain, yet unannointed, war with Iraq, U.S. military personnel have daunting tasks in front of them. Another appears to be rearing its nuclear-tipped head in North K...

Goodbye, 2002Just yesterday we were tallying votes in the general election, welcoming newcomers to the political table and talking more with familiar folks. Wasn't it just last week when those baseball players from around the continent came to town for a World Series? And it couldn't have been more than a month or two ago when the bad news came that the pickle plant was closing down in Atkins. This year - has it already been a year? - has just flown by. We...

Unemployed find no help at CapitolFor nearly 7,200 Arkansans, Saturday brought the end of unemployment benefits. That estimated figure represents the state's portion of the 800,000 people across the country whose benefits ended Saturday because Congress failed to extend them before adjourning for the holidays. We can only assume that the 435 represenatives and 100 senators enjoyed a less anxious holiday than those Americans who knew they were only days away from losing whateve...

What to do about threat in N. Korea?Three recent North Korean actions underscore that nation's bent toward pushing the nuclear envelope. North Korea got caught shipping prohibited missiles. North Korea has begun stockpiling nuclear fuel rods that have two purposes, one of them is involves weaponry. North Korea expelled U.N. inspectors from its nuclear facilities. Any of these actions alone is a serious breach of security for not only that region of the world but the world in gen...

Officials should follow spirit of lawLet's say John Daly plays 20 rounds of golf. During those rounds, he will use the same clubs, unless something changes in his contract (or he tosses one in a nearby pond). The point is, Daly uses the same clubs. He likes them. He's used to them. He knows what to expect from them. Ask his opinion of those clubs, and he'll likely offer one. That opinion may vary from day to day, but one aspect of it won't - it won't be an impartial, objective th...

Trash woes ignored againTucked away in long, heavy file cabinet drawers at City Hall are pages and pages and pages of Russellville ordinances. Some of the laws are old and crusty. Some are new. Looking at the decades of legislating those drawers' contents represent, one might think that this city's leadership has historically eyeballed lots of life's aspects and acted on most of them. One would be mostly wrong. Russellville's leadership often looks at difficult issue...

Staff soapbox: Anti-Clinton site short on 'real truth'By Terry Krepel newseditor@couriernews.com A small to-do has been made recently over announced plans to build a "Counter Clinton Library" to be located in Little Rock somewhere near the actual and under-construction Clinton presidential library. A "word from the founders" on the Web site of the "counter library" describes what the project is about in boldface- and italic-laden type - that it will be "devoted to setting the record straight abou...

Give until it feels goodHeadline writers are perhaps the oddest variety of that odd breed known as journalists. Maybe they spend too much time under fluorescent lighting, staring into a computer screen 14 inches away from their noses. They love alliteration and puns, although they use admirable restraint on the latter. A play on words, if it reflects the story, can brighten up their entire week. One of their favorite tools is the literary or biblical reference, altho...

Education comments pouring inChecking e-mail on Monday morning is usually not too interesting. Over the weekend, dozens of missives will have come from hither and yon. Most of them have nothing to do with our business here. Somebody's always trying to sell something. Some information service is sending day-old news. And some crankpot is ready to spill the beans about alien life forms in Newton County. Just the routine stuff. But this particular Monday morning's batch of e...

Bold steps needed at CapitolA few weeks ago, we had a feeling that the upcoming session of the state's General Assembly might be one for the ages. We thought that legislators might rise to the opportunity presented by a state Supreme Court ruling on public education. We thought that once in our lifetime our elected leaders might look for answers, not political expediency. But after listening to the incoming leaders of the Legislature, we think we may have another thought...